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Dental insurance can be a valuable asset that allows you to maintain a healthy smile without putting too much stress on your budget. But what if you feel a little confused about how to get the most out of your policy? You are far from alone. Hopefully, this blog post will clear things up a little. It provides four helpful tips that can get you on the path to understanding and maximizing your dental coverage.
Take Advantage of Preventive Services
Dental insurance has a strong focus on prevention. It tends to provide higher coverage levels for services like cleanings and exams than it does for restorative services, such as crowns and fillings. In fact, you might not need to pay anything at all out of pocket for basic preventive services! Try to make it your habit to visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.
Use Your Coverage Before It Expires
Dental insurance operates on a calendar-year basis. With PPO policies, there is a yearly limit on how much your insurer will pay for approved services each year. This limit, called an annual maximum, may be $1,000 or more. At the end of the year, any unused portion of the maximum does not roll over. It simply disappears. You could lose out on hundreds of dollars’ worth of benefits!
If you know you need some treatment, it is best to schedule it sooner rather than later. If you need major restorative procedures, it might even be possible to schedule your treatment across calendar years so you can use two annual maximums rather than one.
Consider Your Network Status
If you have a PPO dental plan, you are free to use your insurance with any licensed dentist. However, only some dentists are in-network with your plan. In other words, they have a contract with your insurance company that helps you to enjoy the lowest out-of-pocket expenses possible.
This does not mean that you must visit an in-network provider. Remember, choosing a dentist whom you trust is the most important thing!
Know Which Services Are Covered
The majority of dental insurance plans provide coverage for cleanings, exams, routine X-rays, fillings, and other common services. However, coverage for more specialized treatments can vary greatly. For example, if you need orthodontic care or dental implants, your plan might not cover them. You may need to shop around for a different policy next year if you intend to undergo any major treatments.
Navigating dental insurance is not always easy, but once you get to know how your policy works, you should be able to use it in a way that keeps both your smile and your wallet happy.
Meet the Practice
The expert team at Dentex Dental Group is proud to provide a broad range of services at reasonable prices. We also welcome dental insurance; we are even in-network with several major plans! If you would like to learn how we can help you get the greatest value out of your policy, we are ready to answer your questions. Contact our Philadelphia office at 215-677-3904.